


sheltered

by hydrospanners



Series: little sun [7]
Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Drabble, Fictober 2017, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-04-17 07:47:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14184261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hydrospanners/pseuds/hydrospanners
Summary: Vetra has an uncomfortable conversation with Nyria Ryder about her behavior.





	sheltered

“Yeah, all right, Ryder.”

Nyria Ryder narrowed her eyes. “What’s that mean?”

“It means,” Vetra said very patiently, “yeah, all right.”

“Not the words, Vetra. That tone. What does that tone mean?” The complexities of turian inflection and subvocals were lost on the average human, but, as Ria never missed an opportunity to point out, she was  _not_ the average human. She might need help with interpretation, but she knew something wasn’t on the up-and-up when she heard it.

Vetra sighed, her eyes shifting in that way that was almost a very human eye roll. Her personal favorite human mannerism. “You aren’t gonna like it.”

“I’m asking anyway.”

“Fine,” Vetra said, her mandibles flicking in irritation. “I just think you lean awfully hard on spending a few years in Terminus.”

“I’m not following.”

“I’m just saying, Ryder, you make a pretty big deal out of living rough and tumble for someone whose dad was, well, y’know.” Vetra gestured vaguely at the ship just a few hundred meters behind them. A ship that would not exist if not for one Alec Ryder. “Taking a few weekend trips to Omega isn’t the same thing as having to live on Omega. I know you think you get where these people are coming from, but you don’t.”

Ria felt the muscles along her shoulder and neck tense, defensive. She flexed her fingers, deliberately combatting the instinct to clench her fists. This was not a fight, she reminded herself. Vetra was not attacking her.

“Look,” Vetra went on. “It’s different when you don’t have a nice, comfortable home to go back to if things don’t work out, okay? It’s different when you never had a family that loved you. I know you had your shit, but it’s different when the shit is all you know.”

Through the hum of anger in the back of her mind, Ria heard the faint echo of Ranna’s voice. An echo of words she’d almost forgotten, a speech Ranna had given her back when Ria had first joined up with her crew. A speech very similar to what Vetra was saying now.

Ria swallowed her anger and sighed. “Okay,” she said. “I see your point.”

Vetra’s mandibles flared. “Really?”

“Yeah.” Ria took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. “I mean it sucks, but you’re right. Not the first time I’ve had this speech either. I’ll try to make it the last.”

“Huh. So that’s what it feels like when people just… listen to you. I could get used to that.”

Her heartbeat began to slow, and Ria found it within herself to smile as she thumped Vetra on the back. “Don’t get too used to it, Nyx. You know how I’m a slow learner.”


End file.
